Danish Food - My way! Marcipanbrød

I love marzipan.  Since childhood, to be honest.  I think my love of marzipan is with me for the duration.  It started way back when Aunty Doris used to make little marzipan novelties at Christmas.  Little fruit and handbags were the shapes I remember.  So skilfully decorated and painted with a light touch of food colouring.  To a child they were magical.  To a child they were works of art.  It seemed sacrilegious  to eat them.  Oh the joy!

I also have had a huge love of liquorice.  Since forever.

Fast forward to adulthood.  I discovered that the Danish national sweet delicacy along with liquorice is something called Marcipanbrød, Marzipan Bread/Loaf.
Marzipan.  Liquorice.  What is there not to love about that country?!

Marcipanbrød, made most famously by Anton Berg, has only become available in the UK in recent years.  Prior to that I was that addicted to the stuff that I made up my own.  I give you my recipe below.  The Danes probably make theirs differently but what the heck, marzipan, chocolate, nuts, brandy ... who cares whether these loaves are authentically made or not?!

These make lovely hostess presents, something for the hostess to hand around with coffee ... or keep for herself!  They also make lovely little Christmas presents.  I cover them in cellophane like crackers and tie up the cracker ends with ribbon curls.

I warn you now that photos of these babies, undressed and dressed are not the prettiest.  But I can assure you that it is a loaf shape that is being created here!  Keep remembering that ...

Marcipanbrød

 

 

 

Ingredients

400* gr white marzipan

20-30 finely shelled nuts, halved and finely chopped , e.g. pecan or walnut

(reserving a few for decoration)

1-2 tablespoons brandy

150 gr good dark chocolate
 

Method
 

1. Open the marzipan and leave for a while to come to room temperature, making it easier to mould.

2. Flatten the marzipan, cover the centre with the nuts and a little of the brandy.  Mould together, adding the rest of the brandy gradually as you mould.

3. Form into two baguette loaf shapes and place in the fridge to firm a little.

4. Meanwhile, break the chocolate into smaller pieces and place in a bowl.  Microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring several times through the melting.  There will probably be a lumps left after the 2 minutes but take out of the microwave and keep stirring with a metal spoon until all is melted.

5. Now for the chocolate bit.  Remove the marzipan loaves from the fridge, place on a board.  Using a pastry brush, apply two thin layers to the visible loaf surface, allowing each to harden a little (about 3-5 minues between coats). 

Carefully flip them over and place on greaseproof baking parchment (this will make it easier to manoevre. Apply several coats to the new visible surface, allowing each coat to harden a little.  The chocolate will harden quicker as it cools.

Don't fret!  Any chocolate you have left over can be kept covered in the fridge and melted again for some other use ... like over icecream and scattered with some toasted almond slices :o).
 

6. As soon as you have applied the final coat of chocolate, decorate with nuts whilst still melted. 

 

Leave to harden.  To serve, cut the loaf in small slices, and enjoy !

 

 

* it's usually sold in 500 gr packs but 400 gr works out just right covered with 150 gr chocolate.  If you use the whole pack, you will need to up the chocolate.  The leftover marzipan can be chopped up and added to a biscuit mix.


Velbekomme!!

A la perchoine.